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DUI suspect found in stolen minivan

Driver was uncooperative and refused to take a breath test, authorities say.

Cary Ashby

Jun 25, 2013

Multiple local law-enforcement agencies were involved in looking for a minivan stolen from Sandusky this weekend.

The search ended early Friday when Trooper Jonathan Weasner, of the state Highway Patrol's Norwalk post, said he stopped the suspect, Zachary C. Mitchell, 21, of Sandusky, in connection with going left of center. The trooper made the Lyme Township traffic stop at 3:21 a.m.

Seven minutes earlier, the Huron County Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the Bellevue Police Department for a deputy who was following a green van that was northbound on Section Line Road 30, police said.

Weasner reported pulling over the green 1999 Ford Windstar on Ohio 4 just north of U.S. 20 seven minutes after the first call, police said. The trooper also requested assistance from Bellevue officers.

Mitchell was uncooperative and refused to take a breath test, according to Weasner's report. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, left of center and a seatbelt violation.

After the traffic stop, troopers said they transported Mitchell to the Bellevue police station for processing and he later went to the Richland County Jail on a contempt of court charge.

The Sandusky Police Department had told authorities to be on the look-out for the van after a resident reported the vehicle was missing. A patrol spokeswoman said troopers started searching after dispatchers received a call in which the suspect reported the driver was heading toward Willard or Bellevue in the stolen vehicle.

D & K Towing took the van from the traffic stop for storage, the patrol spokeswoman said.